Snap switch



A. c. GAYNOR June 3, 1930.

SNAP SWITCH Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 22

IIII III III llll lll Ill-ll Ill mu June 3, 1930. 'A.IC. GA YNORV 1,762,016

SNAP- SWITCH F iled Oct, 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ate nfied dune 3 1236 Anmun creaxnon, or srna'rronn, -conitnerrcu' r SNAP swrrc i Application filed October 22, 1926. Seriallfi'o. 143,454.

This invention relates to electric switches and particularly to electric switches of the snap type, such as shown in my prior Patent No. 1,690,780, granted November 6,1928.

Among the objects of my present invention is the provision of an electric snap switch whose construction is such that it can be easily and expeditiously manufactured and assembled, the cost for the material for the switch and the cost of the assembly being reduced to what might practically be called a minimum.

,In the present switch the contacts are moved into and out of engagement by ahandle which actuates a'floating member carrying a pair of movable contacts which are adapted to cooperate with fixed contacts in an insulated base. This floating member is carried by a crank shaft journaled in a bracket through which the handle projects, a spring being interposed between said handle and crankfor imparting a snap action to the movement of the crank and floating 1 member carried thereby. In the present inbodiment of the present invention is illus stance a specific object is to provide the bracket with bearings in which the crank is journaled insuch fashion that the handle,

crank, and spring may be assembled in the bracket with the greatest of ease.

A structure illustrating the preferred. em-

trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 ;is a view in side elevation partly in section of the operating assembly of the switch removed from the insulating base.

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the operating assembly removed from the insulating base.

Fig. 5 is an elongated perspective'view showing one side of the bracket in which the operating parts i are supported.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the reverse side of saidbracket.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the operating crank.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the actuating lever or handle.

. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings the insulating, base 18 has a recess or socket 19 for the reception ofthe operating parts of the switch, Said base also has formed therein a slot 20 communicating withmecess 19, said'slot 20 serving the purpose of rec the switch Thebase is also formed with terminal seats 21 at one side and extending from said terminal seats are leads 23 whichterminate in fixed contact members 22 and 2 1. Said leads 23 extend across the top of the insulating base and downwardly into the slot 20,

one of said leads terminating near the top of the base and constituting contact 22 while the other lead extends substantially to the bottom of said'slot and forms the contact 241 The top surface of the base is cut away around the recess or socket 19 to form a,

seat 18 for the top plate 25 of the bracket which supports the operatingparts for the movable contact blade 49. Said contact blade is carried by a crank shaft journaled inthe bracket and said shaft is adapted to be rocked by the operating lever or handle 39 so as tomove the ends of said blade into" 2 crank is bent upwardly to form a hump 33 which provides a seat for the compression spring 36. The wire formingjthe ,crank shaft has a lateral projection 34 extending from the end of bearing portion 31 and a part 35 bent back parallel to said bearing portion 31, thereby forming a non-circular projecting end by means of which a non-rigid connection is made between the crank shaft and the contact blade. The coil spring 36 is compressed between the hump 33 on eiving the fixed contact ]&WS of B0 and the movable contact blades.

portions 31, 31*, joura hump the crank portionof the crank shaft and the lower end of the actuating lever 39, the lower end of said lever having an edge portion 37 of semi-circular outline with a pair of shoulders 38 adjacent the ends of said semicircular portion. The semi-circular portion 37 constitutes a spring seat for the upper end of the coil spring 36 fitting within the end of the coil spring rather snugly and preventing its lateral displacement while the 33 on the crank also fits snugly within the opposite end of said spring. v

The actuator lever 39 comprises a-sheet metal member having an upper portion 40 and two laterally extending members 43. The lower portion 42 of said sheet metal member is bent or twisted, as at 41, intoa plane at right angles to the upper portion or parallel to the axis of the crank and this lower portion is formed with the semi-circularedge 37 and the shoulders 38 to constitute the spring seat for the upper end of spring 36. Insulation 44 is molded around the sheet metal member and it will be observed that this insulation has a V-shaped recess 45 formed therein, the apex of this V-shaped recess being located in line with the opening 46 which receives the pivot pin for the lever. The edges of the arms 43 of said sheet metal member are exposed at the outside of the insulation so that shook incident to the contact of such arms with the bracket, in limiting the movement of the actuator arm, is taken by the sheet metal member instead of by the insulation 44.

, This actuator lever is pivotally mounted in bracket 25, openings 30 being formed in the depending arms 26 of said bracket, adjacent the top plate thereofQ Opening 46 is lined shown in Fig. 5 while the other arm having .26

up with openings 30 for the reception of a pivot pin 47. which extends across the space between depending bracket arms 26. The major portion of the structure thus far described is more fully shown and described and the advantages thereof pointed.

out with greater particularity in my prior patent heretofore referred to, but the description herein given is deemed sufficient for the purpose of properly disclosing the present invention. I

To assist in retaining the crank shaft in the depending arms 26 of its supporting bracket the bearing 27 in one of said arms for one of the ends 31 of said shaft is closed, but to facilitate assembly of the crank and other cooperating elements in the bracket the bearing 27 for the other end of said crank shaft has an entrance slotwhich extends to the edge of the depending arms 26.

The arm 26 having the closed bearing is the open bearing is illustrated in Fig. 6. It will be noted that the depending arm having the open bearing is also provided with inturned projections 29 which are adapted to engageand limit the rocking movement of the crank shaft and as it is necessary, in assembling the crank in the bracket, to have the crank portion .of the shaft located beclosed bearing 27 permits the short bearing end 31 of, the crank to be inserted in said bearing'27, this insertion being readily accomplished by holding the crank shaft with the crank portion substantially parallel to '7 After the I the top plate of the bracket. short end has thus been inserted the crank shaft is then moved in a plane substantially parallel to the top plate until the other hearing end 31 has entered the slot 28 after which the crank portion of the shaft is free to turn down to a position between the lugs 29 and the long bearing end 31 dropped into its bearing 27*. The first position occupied by the crank, when being assembled, is shown in full lines in Fig. 6, and the position itassumes when partially entered-in the entrance slot 28 is shown in dotted lines in said figure, from which'it will be readily understood exactly how the crank will assume a vertical position in the bracket with the lever 39 and the compressionspring 36 in the bracket, the handle is first inserted upwardly through the top plate of the bracket the crank is then inserted in the bracket as just described; and the spring, held" undercompression with suitable pliers, is then inserted between the arms 26 of the bracket and released from the pliers when its ends are in position to embrace the hump 33 and the lower semi-circular end portion 37 of the operating lever. After the spring has thus been inserted, the opening 46 of the.

lever is then lined up, with the holes 30 in the bracket arm 35 and the pivot pin 47 then inserted. Due to the space for these parts being more or less limited it will be seen that by having oneof the bearings for the crank shaft closed, said shaft may be more easily held in'place when the spring 36 is being inserted and by simply having the closed bearing formed with an elongated offset portion the crank is still capable of .being assembled in the bracket with the greatest of ease or with at least the same degree of ease as will be the case if both of the hearings were formed with entrance slots extending to the edges of the bracket arms What I claim is: a v

1. In a snap switch, the combination of a bracket having a pair of spaced arms each provided with a bearing, a crank member journaledin said bearings, and a contact blade carriedby said crank, the bearing one of said bracket arms being closed and the bearing in the other arm having an en- I trance slot extending from the upper portion thereof to the edge of the arm, said slot emerging in said bearing at a point at least as high as the centerv of rotation of the? crank. 7

2. In a snap-switch, the combination of a bracket having a pair of arms each formed with a bearing, a'crank shaft journaled in as high as the vertical center of the latter and the elo'ngatedportion of the closed bear-- as the end portion of the shaft adapted to 7 said bearings, and a contact blade carried by said shaft, thefbearing in' one of said arms having an entrance slot extending upwardly therefrom to the ed 6 of said arm and theY other bearing be ng closed but formed with an oifset elongation to facilitate assembly of the crank in the bracket, said slot and said elongation merging in respective bearings at least as high as the vertical center of the latter.

3. In a snap switch, the combination of a bracket having a pair of arms each formed with a bearing, a crank shaft journaled in said bearings, and a contact blade carried by said shaft, the bearing in one of said arms having an entrance slot extending to the edge of said arm and the other bearing being closed .but formed with an offset elongation to facilitate assembly of the crank in the bracket, said slot andsaid elongation merging in the respective bearings atleast ing being substantially of the samelength 4 be supported in said closedbearing. I v

ARTHUR 0.. GAYNOR; 

